Cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands in Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis: the prevalence and its association with clinical features

BackgroundCerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal band (CSF-OCB) is an established biomarker in diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS), however, there are no nationwide data on CSF-OCB prevalence and its diagnostic performance in Chinese MS patients, especially in the virtue of common standard operation procedure (SOP).MethodsWith a consensus SOP and the same isoelectric focusing system, we conducted a nationwide multi-center study on OCB status in consecutively, and recruited 483 MS patients and 880 non-MS patients, including neuro-inflammatory diseases (NID, n = 595) and non-inflammatory neurological diseases (NIND, n=285). Using a standardized case report form (CRF) to collect the clinical, radiological, immunological, and CSF data, we explored the association of CSF-OCB positivity with patient characters and the diagnostic performance of CSF-OCB in Chinese MS patients. Prospective source data collection, and retrospective data acquisition and statistical data analysis were used.Findings369 (76.4%) MS patients were OCB-positive, while 109 NID patients (18.3%) and 6 NIND patients (2.1%) were OCB-positive, respectively. Time from symptom onset to diagnosis was significantly shorter in OCB-positive than that in OCB-negative MS patients (13.2 vs 23.7 months, P=0.020). The prevalence of CSF-OCB in Chinese MS patients was significantly higher in high-latitude regions (41°-50°N)(P=0.016), and at high altitudes (>1000m)(P=0.025). The diagnostic performance of CSF-OCB differentiating MS from non-MS patients yielded a sensitivity of 76%, a specificity of 87%.InterpretationThe nationwide prevalence of CSF-OCB was 76.4% in Chinese MS patients, and demonstrated a good diagnostic performance in differentiating MS from other CNS diseases. The CSF-OCB prevalence showed a correlation with high latitude and altitude in Chinese MS patients

Mitigation of tobacco bacteria wilt with microbial degradation of phenolic allelochemicals

Abstract Long-term continuous monoculture cropping of tobacco leads to high incidence of tobacco bacterial wilt (TBW) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, which threatening world tobacco production and causing great economy loss. In this study, a safe and effective way to control TBW by microbial degradation of phenolic allelochemicals (PAs) was explored. Eleven kinds of PAs were identified from continuous tobacco cropping soil. These PAs exhibited various effects on the growth, chemotaxis and biofilm formation of R. solanacearum. Then we isolated eight strains of Bacillus, one strain of Brucella, one strain of Enterobacter and one strain of Stenotrophomonas capable of degrading these PAs. The results of degradation assay showed that these isolated strains could degrade PAs both in culture solutions and soil. Besides, the incidence of TBW caused by R. solanacearum and deteriorated by PAs were significantly decreased by treating with these degrading strains. Furthermore, six out of eleven isolated strains were combined to degrade all the identified PAs and ultimately sharply reduced the incidence of TBW by 61.44% in pot experiment. In addition, the combined degrading bacteria could promote the plant growth and defense response. This study will provide a promising strategy for TBW control in tobacco production

Efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with ligand engineered all-inorganic InP and InP/ZnS colloidal quantum dots

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is a promising technique for the direct conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels. Colloidal quantum dots with tunable band gap and versatile surface properties remain among the most prominent targets in photocatalysis despite their frequent toxicity, which is detrimental for environmentally friendly technological implementations. In the present work, all-inorganic sulfide-capped InP and InP/ZnS quantum dots are introduced as competitive and far less toxic alternatives for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in aqueous solution, reaching turnover numbers up to 128,000 based on quantum dots with a maximum internal quantum yield of 31%. In addition to the favorable band gap of InP quantum dots, in-depth studies show that the high efficiency also arises from successful ligand engineering with sulfide ions. Due to their small size and outstanding hole capture properties, sulfide ions effectively extract holes from quantum dots for exciton separation and decrease the physical and electrical barriers for charge transfer

Intraoperative hypothermia and its clinical outcomes in patients undergoing general anesthesia: National study in China.

Inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia (core temperature 2 h) (OR = 2.60, 95% CI 2.09-3.24).The incidence of intraoperative hypothermia in China is high, and the rate of active warming of patients during operation is low. Hypothermia is associated with more postoperative shivering, increased ICU admissions, and longer postoperative hospital days

Outcome of hypothermia and normothermia.

<p>Outcome of hypothermia and normothermia.</p

Risk factors associated with intraoperative hypothermia.

<p>Risk factors associated with intraoperative hypothermia.</p

Change of intraoperative core temperature during operations.

<p>Patients’ core temperature was measured at the tympanic membrane beginning every 15 minutes after the induction of anesthesia until the end of the operation. A total of 3132 subjects were enrolled in the study; each curve represents a connection of 5 percentiles, 25 percentile, 50 percentile, 75 percentile and 95 percentile of core temperature at a specific time point. The time interval is 15 minutes.</p